Things are starting to take shape after the first Saturday in October. The top four contenders in the Big 12 title race right now aren’t your usual cast of characters but they’ve all established themselves as legitimate teams vying for a title.
TCU crept up this week and his fresh on the heels of Oklahoma State. The Pokes keep the top spot for another week but the Horned Frogs are just a point behind after jumping up from a four-way tie at No. 3 last week. We’re also coming around as a group on Kansas, having the Jayhawks unanimously at #3 this week. Other areas where we agree unanimously is Texas Tech at No. 7 and West Virginia at No. 10.
Feel free to use the comments section below to let us know where you agree and disagree with us.
2022 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Oklahoma State | 29 |
| 2. TCU | 28 |
| 3. Kansas | 24 |
| 4. Kansas State | 20 |
| 5. Baylor | 16 |
| 6. Texas | 14 |
| 7. Texas Tech | 12 |
| 7. Oklahoma | 12 |
| 9. Iowa State | 7 |
| 10. West Virginia | 3 |
Individual Thoughts
Craig
1. Oklahoma State | The Pokes pulled off an impressive win over Baylor this weekend. This is a team that is improving each week and looking more like a cohesive unit on both sides of the ball.
2. TCU | I have admittedly been too harsh on TCU all season. I’m not sure anyone saw this coming, but they’ve got the 8th best offense in the country right now. The Horned Frogs are going to be a problem for the Big 12 this season.
3. Kansas | It’s finally time, Kansas has made my top three! The Jayhawks are the only 5-0 team in the conference. In a Big 12 conference season that is off to a strange start, I’m all for the Jayhawks running the table!
4. Kansas State
5. Baylor
6. Texas
7. Texas Tech
8. Iowa State
9. Oklahoma | The Sooners have lost back to back games for only the second time in nearly two decades. It will be interesting to see where they go from here. It could be a long season for Oklahoma.
10. West Virginia | It was honestly a toss up between The Mountaineers and the Sooners for last place. But, West Virginia is the only team in the Big 12 with a losing record. And when it rains, it pours. They have to host Baylor for week six.
Matt
1. TCU | I took some heat for placing the Frogs at No. 1 in my rankings last week. There aren’t going to be as many people questioning it this week after they absolutely pasted the Sooners.
2. Oklahoma State | I really thought that I would be putting the Pokes in the top spot this week but TCU absolutely earned the right to stay atop my rankings. OSU is certainly in the hunt though, not just for the conference title but also a possible playoff spot.
3. Kansas | The question is no longer in regards to if the Jayhawks are legit or not. Now it’s about how much can they handle the pressure of being undefeated.
4. Kansas State
5. Texas
6. Baylor
7. Texas Tech
8. Oklahoma
9. Iowa State | The Cyclones are the latest Big 12 team to be victimized by the Kansas Jayhawks but troubles for Iowa State were there well before the trip to Lawrence.
10. West Virginia | The Mountaineers have the opportunity to make some noise by hosting Baylor this weekend.
Zack
1. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys are the most complete team right now, and while there is still room for improvement, they are the team to beat.
2. TCU | The Horned Frogs are right behind the Cowboys. They made OU look worse than they really are, and October 15th is going to be a good one when OSU travels down to Ft. Worth.
3. Kansas | Is this real life? The Jayhawks are actually doing this thing. I’m still not convinced they’re a contender to win the conference, but they’ve yet to be stopped. They host TCU this weekend, so that will settle some things.
4. Baylor
5. Kansas State
6. Oklahoma
7. Texas Tech
8. Texas
9. Iowa State | The Cyclones have looked better than I expected them to be this season, but they’re on the outside looking in so far.
10. West Virginia | I think the Mountaineers are better than the typical “bottom of the Big 12” team, but this year is an odd one in the conference where every team is at least decent. Unfortunately for West Virginia, they’re the worst of the decent teams so far.
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